Used to refer to a time rather than an aesthetic, Contemporary art generally describes pieces created after 1970 or being made by living artists anywhere in the world. This immediacy means it encompasses art responding to the present moment through diverse subjects, media and themes. Contemporary painting, sculpture, photography, performance, digital art, video and more frequently includes work that is attempting to reshape current ideas about what art can be, from Felix Gonzalez-Torres’s use of candy to memorialize a lover he lost to AIDS-related complications to Jenny Holzer’s ongoing “Truisms,” a Conceptual series that sees provocative messages printed on billboards, T-shirts, benches and other public places that exist outside of formal exhibitions and the conventional “white cube” of galleries.
Contemporary art has been pushing the boundaries of creative expression for years. Its disruption of the traditional concepts of art are often aiming to engage viewers in complex questions about identity, society and culture. In the latter part of the 20th century, contemporary movements included Land art, in which artists like Robert Smithson and Michael Heizer create large-scale, site-specific sculptures, installations and other works in soil and bodies of water; Sound art, with artists such as Christian Marclay and Susan Philipsz centering art on sonic experiences; and New Media art, in which mass media and digital culture inform the work of artists such as Nam June Paik and Rafaël Rozendaal.
The first decades of the 21st century have seen the growth of Contemporary African art, the revival of figurative painting, the emergence of street art and the rise of NFTs, unique digital artworks that are powered by blockchain technology.
Major Contemporary artists practicing now include Ai Weiwei, Cecily Brown, David Hockney, Yayoi Kusama, Jeff Koons, Takashi Murakami and Kara Walker.
Find a collection of Contemporary prints, photography, paintings, sculptures and other art on 1stDibs.
Airplane in landscape - landscape painting
Located in New York, NY
This beautiful painting by Jeroen Allart is part of his minimalist landscape and animal painting he did in his home country the Netherlands. 'A farm stands before you on the horizon....
Canvas, Oil
$3,000
Princess /// Contemporary Street Pop Art Painting Grace Kelly Abstract Colorful
Located in Saint Augustine, FL
Artist: Jack Graves III (American, 1988-) Title: "Princess" Series: Eclecticism *Signed by Graves lower left. It is also signed, titled, and dated on verso Year: 2024 Medium: Origi...
Canvas, Paint, Acrylic
$2,100
Fiddlestick - Abstract Minimal Color Textured Mixed Media Artwork on Canvas
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Los Angeles artist Amber Goldhammer paints dramatic abstract compositions in acrylic on canvas featuring energetic brushstrokes. Goldhammer uses her contemporary paintings to express...
Canvas, Latex, Mixed Media, Spray Paint, Acrylic
$890
Nine Skies, Geometric Interpretations Grid, Bauhaus Landscape Tiles, Color Field
Located in Barcelona, ES
“Nine Skies” by Natalia Roman is a contemporary geometric abstraction that evokes shifting atmospheres through a refined language of color and form. Organized in a rhythmic grid, eac...
Acrylic
Mediterranean Male Nude by Boat Sitges School Figurative Coastal Scene oil art
Located in Sitges, Barcelona
Mediterranean Male Nude by Boat, Sitges School Figurative Coastal Scene Artist: F. Benítez Date: 2012 Medium: Oil on panel Support: Panel Dimensions (panel): 35 × 50 cm (13.8 × 19.7...
Oil
$4,300
Soft Skies - Original Abstract Oceanscape Painting on Canvas with Gold Leaf
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Charlotte Elizabeth has been working with paint professionally for over fifteen years. Elizabeth’s training in theatre design preceded a busy career as a Theatrical Scenic Artist in ...
Gold Leaf
Talking with You
Located in Zofingen, AG
This painting reflects a quiet moment shared by two people whose conversation seems untouched by time. They may be close friends or perhaps a couple — the kind of connection where wo...
Canvas, Acrylic
Yellow Slash Abstract Acrylic Painting, Framed, Contemporary
Located in Bloomfield, ON
This contemporary abstract acrylic painting was inspired by nature. Sandra Goldie’s artwork has been praised by one of Quebec’s leading abstract artists. Leopold Plotek described th...
Canvas, Acrylic
In Search of a Cerulean Sweater
Located in Zofingen, AG
In Search of a Cerulean Sweater plays with the idea of difference — of standing side by side while belonging to entirely different worlds. It reflects that quiet, often overlooked st...
Canvas, Acrylic
After the Game (Figurative Painting, Two Men in Athletic Uniforms by Mark Beard)
By Mark Beard
Located in Hudson, NY
Academic style figurative portrait painting of a handsome young men "After the Game", By Mark Beard as Bruce Sargeant (pseudonym in homage to the fashion photographer, Bruce Weber, a...
Canvas, Oil
Jack Straw - Abstract Minimal Color Beige Textured Mixed Media Artwork on Canvas
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Los Angeles artist Amber Goldhammer paints dramatic abstract compositions in acrylic on canvas featuring energetic brushstrokes. Goldhammer uses her contemporary paintings to express...
Canvas, Latex, Mixed Media, Spray Paint, Acrylic
$2,175
Island Life - Abstract Colorful Feminine Figurative Acrylic Artwork Beach Scene
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Southern California native Courtney Simone seamlessly blends her passion for abstract art with the exploration of everyday beauty, resulting in exuberantly inspired abstract figurati...
Canvas, Mixed Media, Acrylic
State of Mind 15 -21st Century, Contemporary, Figurative Portrait, Women, Floral
Located in Ibadan, Oyo
The artist's expressive strokes, rendered with bold acrylics, bring to life a figurative portrait that speaks volumes about resilience and aspiration. The interplay of colors and tex...
Canvas, Acrylic
In My White Boots - Colorful Abstract Feminine Figurative Still Life Art
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Southern California native Courtney Simone seamlessly blends her passion for abstract art with the exploration of everyday beauty, resulting in exuberantly inspired abstract figurati...
Canvas, Mixed Media, Acrylic
“Spiral movement”
Located in Zofingen, AG
Red fish move towards each other, forming a closed circle — a spiral — a space of eternal movement, interaction, equilibrium and balance. This is an image of cyclicality, reciprocity...
Canvas, Acrylic
Mountains 16 January 10:41 - Modern Nature Landscape Painting
Located in Salzburg, AT
Robert Motelski's paintings are exceptional visions of nature, visions of space which surrounds us. They tell about being, fate and passing. They depend on the season of year, the ti...
Canvas, Acrylic
Autumn Northsea 2 - 21st Century Contemporary landscape painting
Located in Nuenen, Noord Brabant
Joost Verhagen Autumn Northsea 2 45 x 55 cm Acrylic paint on canvas We ship worldwide for free in a wooden crate, framed as seen on the pictures. Because of the constantly changing...
Canvas, Acrylic
New Girl in Town
Located in Zofingen, AG
New Girl in Town captures that delicate, almost imperceptible feeling of being slightly out of rhythm with the world around you — where everything seems settled, familiar, already un...
Canvas, Acrylic
TROPIC 1 by Ramon Enrich - Landscape Painting, Earth Tones, Architecture
By Ramon Enrich
Located in Paris, FR
TROPIC 1 is a unique acrylic on paper mounted on wood painting by contemporary artist Ramon Enrich, dimensions are 94.5 × 134 cm (37.2 × 52.8 in). The artwork is signed, sold frame...
Wood, Paper, Acrylic
$337Sale Price|25% Off
Africa Motifs 2 -21st Century Contemporary, Abstract Expressionism, Design
Located in Ibadan, Oyo
Shipping Procedure Ships in a well-protected tube from Nigeria This work is unique, not a print or other type of copy. Accompanied by a Certificate of Authenticity (Issued by the Gal...
Canvas, Acrylic
$337Sale Price|25% Off
Africa Motifs 6 -21st Century Contemporary, Abstract Expressionism, Design
Located in Ibadan, Oyo
Shipping Procedure Ships in a well-protected tube from Nigeria This work is unique, not a print or other type of copy. Accompanied by a Certificate of Authenticity (Issued by the Gal...
Canvas, Acrylic
'Lemoneighbors' by Marie Kash Weltzheimer; Framed Oil on Linen, 13.5" x 13.5"
Located in Oklahoma City, OK
This framed 13.5" x 13.5" x 2" oil on linen work by Oklahoma-based artist Marie Kash Weltzheimer portrays three lemons, arranged side by side. They are nestled in a striped blue and ...
Linen, Varnish, Oil
Pink Ascension Beyond The Moon & Stars
By Hunt Slonem
Located in Miami Beach, FL
Hunt Slonem, American, included in 250+ museum collections Unique oil on canvas painting, artist's antique frame, signed and dated verso Inspired by nature and his 60 pet birds, Hu...
Gold Leaf
$9,500
Joy
By Hunt Slonem
Located in Miami Beach, FL
Hunt Slonem, American, included in 250+ museum collections Unique oil on wood painting, artist's antique frame, signed and dated verso Inspired by nature and his 60 pet birds, Hunt...
Oil, Wood Panel
Yellow Smudge - Vibrant Yellow Tone Abstract Figurative Sculptural Wall Artwork
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Nebraka-based Jamie Burmeister is a sculptural artist known for his original artworks incorporating original small bronze figures, standing at just up to 4 inches tall. His unique fi...
Metal
$337Sale Price|25% Off
With You - 21st Century, Contemporary, Figurative, Portrait, Modern, Africa
Located in Ibadan, Oyo
Shipping Procedure Ships in a well-protected tube from Nigeria This work is unique, not a print or other type of copy. Accompanied by a Certificate of Authenticity. About Artist Tos...
Canvas, Mixed Media, Acrylic
$1,320
Landscape 07 - 21st Century Contemporary Impressionistic Landscape Painting
Located in Nuenen, Noord Brabant
Frank Dekkers Landscape 07 15 x 20 cm (framed, included in price 20 x 25 cm) oil on Panel About the artist: Frank Dekkers, an outdoor painter, but not a "square painter" as we know...
Oil, Wood Panel
Silent Dialogue Acrylic and Color Pencil Painting, Contemporary, 2010+
Located in Oslo, NO
Silent dialogue Marina Skvortsova lives and works between Norway and Estonia. Born in Siberia with Asian roots, Marina feels a deep cultural connection to Eastern traditions. Her wo...
Acrylic, Color Pencil
$4,300
Passage des Volumes – Contemporary Abstract Geometric Painting, Architectural
Located in LANGRUNE-SUR-MER, FR
Title: Passage des Volumes Artist: Sophie Dumont Medium: Oil on canvas Dimensions: 65 x 54 cm (25.6 x 21.3 in) Framed dimensions: approx. 72 x 61 cm (28.3 x 24 in) Year: 2025 Conditi...
Oil
$2,800
Blue Dots IV - Pink Tone Contemporary Abstract Figurative Sculptural Artwork
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Nebraka-based Jamie Burmeister is a sculptural artist known for his original artworks incorporating original small bronze figures, standing at just up to 4 inches tall. His unique fi...
Metal
$1,320
Landscape 20 - 21st Century Contemporary Impressionistic Landscape Painting
Located in Nuenen, Noord Brabant
Frank Dekkers Landscape 20 15 x 20 cm (framed, included in price 20 x 25 cm) oil on Panel About the artist: Frank Dekkers, an outdoor painter, but not a "square painter" as we know...
Oil, Wood Panel
$1,100
Bluebell Abundance: Large Floral Painting, Contemporary, Delight, Colorful, New
By Karnish Art
Located in Pretoria, Gauteng
Title: Bluebell Abundance Large Floral Painting, Contemporary, Delight, Colorful, New It captures the essence of nature's delight. Lilies in shades of pink, intertwined Bluebells a...
Gesso, Canvas, Wood, Acrylic, Stretcher Bars
Always with you, original painting, abstract, contemporary
Located in Deddington, GB
KC Crompton Always with you Original Abstract Painting Oil Paint, Graphite and Oil Stick on Canvas 90 X 122 cm x 3.5 cm Unframed 96 x 129 cm Framed Sold Framed: Dark wood float frame...
Canvas, Oil, Graphite
Orange Sky (Skyscape, Warm, Glowing, Vibrant, Dreamy, Sun, Rays, Clouds)
By Annieo Klaas
Located in Kansas City, MO
Annieo Klaas Orange Sky 2026 Oil on Canvas Size: 24 x 24 inches (60.96 × 60.96 cm) Signed and titled verso COA included *On stretcher frame, gallery-wrapped - ready to hang In Whe...
Canvas, Oil, Stretcher Bars
Gale - Contemporary Abstract Acrylic Painting on Canvas, Framed, 32x26 in
Located in Bloomfield, ON
This contemporary abstract acrylic painting was inspired by nature. Sandra Goldie’s artwork has been praised by one of Quebec’s leading abstract artists. Leopold Plotek described th...
Canvas, Acrylic
Sédhiou N1 by Calo Carratalá - Waterscape painting, Senegal, Africa
Located in Paris, FR
Sédhiou N1 is a unique oil on canvas painting by Spanish contemporary artist Calo Carratalá, dimensions are 150 × 300 cm (59 × 118.1 in) The artwork is signed, sold unframed and come...
Oil, Canvas
White Ascension House of God
By Hunt Slonem
Located in Miami Beach, FL
Hunt Slonem, American, included in 250+ museum collections Unique oil on canvas painting, signed and dated verso Inspired by nature and his 60 pet birds, Hunt Slonem is renowned fo...
Gold Leaf
Muriel Chazalon, "End of day" Oil on canvas, Contemporary Landscape
Located in Montfort l’Amaury, FR
Muriel Chazalon (b. 1957) – Fin de journée (End of Day) Oil on canvas, 2023, 31½ × 47¼ in. (80 × 120 cm) signed on the back Fin de journée is a large-scale landscape painting by Mur...
Canvas, Oil
In The Presence of Fragrant Bliss - Abstract Landscape Mixed Media Art on Canvas
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Los Angeles artist Amber Goldhammer paints dramatic abstract compositions in acrylic on canvas featuring energetic brushstrokes. Goldhammer uses her contemporary paintings to express...
Canvas, Latex, Ink, Mixed Media, Spray Paint, Acrylic
"Make Believer (V3)", Hand cut stencil, acrylic, aerosol
By Mando Marie (seeyouthroughit)
Located in Philadelphia, PA
"Make Believer (V3)" is a one-of-a-kind original work by Amanda Marie (Mando), created using acrylic and aerosol on paper. The piece measures 19.75 × 15.75 inches and is pencil signe...
Paper, Spray Paint, Acrylic
Turquoise Dots - Vibrant Yellow Contemporary Abstract Figurative Sculptural Art
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Nebraka-based Jamie Burmeister is a sculptural artist known for his original artworks incorporating original small bronze figures, standing at just up to 4 inches tall. His unique fi...
Metal
The Tide of the Setting Sun by Frédérique Domergue, Abstract Painting on Metal
Located in Paris, FR
The Tide of the Setting Sun is an artwork by French contemporary artist Frédérique Domergue, crafted with oxidized zinc and bronze leaves on an honeycomb aluminum panel. Dimensions: ...
Bronze
Pearls of Hidden Glow
Located in Zofingen, AG
Series: Sea Within — Shells & Pearls. Hidden Glow reveals an open oyster with two luminous pearls, softly radiating from within. The pearls are rendered with exceptional realism,...
Canvas, Acrylic
$594Sale Price|30% Off
Homecoming - Bright Ethereal Green Abstract Painting, Signed, 50x50 CM
Located in Silverthorne, CO
My first painting back in the Italy Studio, where the nature around me is still veiled by winter, but the tiny buds on the tree branches and the primrose carpeting the forest floor a...
Oil
$1,806Sale Price|20% Off
Large Blue Abstract Seascape, Contemporary Oil Painting on Canvas, Minimalist
Located in Agrigento, AG
Artist: Marilina Marchica Title: Blue Landscape Year: 2026 Medium: Oil on canvas Dimensions: 60 × 90 × 2 cm (23.6 × 35.4 × 0.8 in) Signature: Signed on the back Certificate of Authen...
Canvas, Oil
Hummingbird (260307)
Located in Atlanta, GA
Gwen Wong's work is both painterly and allegorical, caught somewhere in the middle between the representational painter and the narrator. "I am inspired by the idea of a childhood re...
Gold Leaf
$337Sale Price|25% Off
Passport 1 - 21st Century, Contemporary, Figurative, Neo-Expressionism, Modern
Located in Ibadan, Oyo
Shipping Procedure Ships in a well-protected tube from Nigeria This work is unique; this is not a print or other type of copy. Accompanied by a Certificate of Authenticity. About Ar...
Canvas, Acrylic
$337Sale Price|25% Off
Guy - 21st Century, Contemporary, Figurative, Neo-Expressionism, Africa, Love
Located in Ibadan, Oyo
Shipping Procedure Ships in a well-protected tube from Nigeria This work is unique; this is not a print or other type of copy. Accompanied by a Certificate of Authenticity. About Ar...
Canvas, Acrylic
$337Sale Price|25% Off
Pleasure - 21st Century, Contemporary, Figurative Portrait, Africa Women
Located in Ibadan, Oyo
Shipping Procedure Ships in a well-protected tube from Nigeria This work is unique, not a print or other type of copy. Accompanied by a Certificate of Authenticity.
Canvas, Oil, Acrylic
Gentle Shores - Original Abstract Oceanscape Painting on Canvas with Gold Leaf
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Charlotte Elizabeth has been working with paint professionally for over fifteen years. Elizabeth’s training in theatre design preceded a busy career as a Theatrical Scenic Artist in ...
Gold Leaf
Autumn North Sea Triptych, Acrylic on Canvas, Framed, 21st Century
Located in Nuenen, Noord Brabant
Joost Verhagen Autumn North Sea 1,2,3 Triptych 3 x 40x50 cm Framed 3 x 43 x 53 cm Acrylic on canvas wooden frames As shown in the photo, we display this triptych in our gallery as...
Canvas, Acrylic
$337Sale Price|25% Off
Nicole - 21st Century, Contemporary, Figurative, Neo-Expressionism, Africa, Love
Located in Ibadan, Oyo
Shipping Procedure Ships in a well-protected tube from Nigeria This work is unique; this is not a print or other type of copy. Accompanied by a Certificate of Authenticity. About Ar...
Canvas, Acrylic
$337Sale Price|25% Off
Another Day Still Disable -21st Century, Contemporary Figurative Portrait Modern
Located in Ibadan, Oyo
Shipping Procedure Ships in a well-protected tube from Nigeria This work is unique; this is not a print or other type of copy. Accompanied by a Certificate of Authenticity. (Issues b...
Oil, Canvas, Acrylic
Pugna 061 by Chidy Wayne, Minimalist Style, Large Format
Located in Bruxelles, BE
Chidy Wayne (b. 1981, Spain) is an artist based in Barcelona. Over the years, he has established himself as a recognized figure in the art world, developing a personal artistic langu...
Mixed Media, Textile
$10,000
Grass Blue Wild Flower - Sky Blue Periwinkle Magenta Abstract Painting, 2022
By Josette Urso
Located in Kent, CT
Thoughtfully combined sections of varying textures and areas of pattern, stripes, circles, dots and undulations in cheerful, exuberant color. Little moments in luminous shades of sky...
Canvas, Oil
Reminiscing
Located in Burlingame, CA
Elizabeth Geisler is best known for contemporary paintings of water that bridge realism and abstraction. At close range, her surfaces appear loose and ambiguous, but from a distance ...
Canvas, Acrylic
Light 15 July 13:22 - Modern Minimalistic Landscape Painting, Sea View
Located in Salzburg, AT
Robert Motelski's paintings are exceptional visions of nature, visions of space which surrounds us. They tell about being, fate and passing. They depend on the season of year, the ti...
Acrylic, Canvas
A Meal Alone with Oneself
Located in Zofingen, AG
A Meal Alone with Oneself is not about solitude, but about returning — to your own rhythm, your own desires, your own quiet center. In a world that constantly asks for more, faster, ...
Canvas, Acrylic
Morning in Color
Located in Zofingen, AG
Morning in Color captures an intimate moment suspended within the warmth of early light. Two figures sit facing one another, framed by an open architectural structure that blurs the ...
Canvas, Acrylic
Carmelized - Abstract Landscape Graffiti Inspired Mixed Media Artwork on Canvas
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Los Angeles artist Amber Goldhammer paints dramatic abstract compositions in acrylic on canvas featuring energetic brushstrokes. Goldhammer uses her contemporary paintings to express...
Canvas, Latex, Mixed Media, Spray Paint, Acrylic
The artist and activist is the subject of a new show at Washington, D.C.'s National Gallery of Art.
Manhattan's Acquavella Galleries is showing a group of the artist's monumental works that have never been seen together.
Koloman Moser smashed the conservative conventions of art and design in fin-de-siècle Vienna. On the 100th anniversary of his death, the Austrian designer is being celebrated for his radically modern creations.